Automatic transmission

Abstract

An infinitely variable speed automatic transmission employs a housing that fixedly supports an annular toothed raceway. A toothed wheel having an inner raceway is disposed within the toothed raceway and has rolling contact and tooth interengagement therewith. The housing supports a rotatable drive shaft that is concentric with the toothed raceway and supports a radially moveable roller bearing. A drive roller engages the roller bearing and the wheel's inner raceway. A stabilizing roller contacts the wheel's inner raceway and is supported by an arm that is secured to an output shaft. The output and input shafts are axially aligned. Rotation of the drive shaft will cause the roller bearing to impart radial driving impulses to the wheel through the drive roller. In turn the wheel transmits planetary rotation to the stabilizing roller, which rotates the output shaft through the connecting arm. The wheel acts as a circular lever with the fulcrum being on the wheel's contact point with the toothed raceway. The load resistance on the output shaft plus the magnitude of the driving impulses on the wheel determines the length of the wheel's effort arm, which in turn determines the output shaft speed.

What I claim: 
     
       1. An automatic transmission comprising; a housing fixedly supporting an annular raceway, a wheel having inner concentric raceway means, said wheel disposed within said annular raceway and having rolling contact therewith, a drive shaft disposed concentrically to said annular raceway and rotatably supported by said housing, a radially moveable drive member connected to said drive shaft and engaging the inner raceway means of said wheel, means for maintaining the engagement between said drive member and said inner raceway means upon rotation of said drive member, whereby rotation of said drive shaft will cause said drive member to impart radial driving impulses to the inner raceway means of said wheel, roller means supported for planetary rotation about the axis of said drive shaft, said roller means engaging the inner raceway means of said wheel, means for maintaining the engagement between said roller means and said inner raceway means, an output shaft axially aligned with said drive shaft and rotatably supported by said housing, coupling means for connecting said wheel to said output shaft, whereby the wheel torque is transmitted to said output shaft by the coupling means. 
     
     
       2. A device as in claim 1 wherein said drive member connecting said drive shaft comprises, a radially moveable roller connecting said drive shaft, an additional roller interposed between and engaging said radially moveable roller and the inner raceway means of said wheel. 
     
     
       3. A device as in claim 2 wherein said roller connecting the drive shaft comprises, a rolling element bearing having weight means secured to the inner race of said rolling element bearing. 
     
     
       4. A device as in claim 1 wherein spring means are provided for connecting said drive shaft and said radially moveable drive member so as to urge radial movement to said drive member. 
     
     
       5. A device as in claim 1 wherein teeth are disposed about the annular raceway and the periphery of the wheel, thereby providing rolling contact and tooth interengagement between the wheel and the annular raceway. 
     
     
       6. A device as in claim 1 wherein means for maintaining the engagement of the drive member and the roller means with the inner raceway means comprises; spring means connecting said drive member to said roller means so as to urge the drive member and the roller means towards the inner raceway means thereby maintaining engagement therewith upon the rotation thereof. 
     
     
       7. An automatic transmission comprising; a fixed annular raceway, a wheel having inner concentric raceway means, said wheel disposed within said annular raceway and having rolling engagement therewith, a rotatably supported drive shaft disposed concentrically to said annular raceway, a radially moveable drive member connected to said drive shaft and engaging the inner raceway means of said wheel, means for maintaining the engagement between said drive member and said inner raceway means upon rotation of said drive member, whereby rotation of said drive shaft will cause said drive member to impart radial driving impulses to said wheel, a rotatably supported output shaft axially aligned with said input shaft, roller means engaging the inner raceway means of said wheel and including means for maintaining the engagement thereof, means for connecting said roller means to said output shaft, whereby the torque from said roller means is transmitted to said output shaft. 
     
     
       8. An automatic transmission comprising; a fixed annular raceway, a wheel having inner concentric raceway means, said wheel disposed within said fixed annular raceway and having rolling contact therewith, a radially movable drive member supported for rotation about an axis concentric to said fixed annular raceway, said drive member engaging the inner raceway means of said wheel, whereby rotation of said drive member will cause the drive member to impart radial driving impulses to said wheel, said impulses being imparted to said inner raceway means within an arc extending generally 90 degrees from the contact point between the wheel and the fixed annular raceway, roller means supported for planetary rotation about the axis of said fixed annular raceway, said roller means engaging the inner raceway means of said wheel, an output shaft supported for rotation on an axis concentric to said fixed annular raceway, coupling means for connecting said wheel to said output shaft, whereby the wheel torque is transmitted to said output shaft by the coupling means.